GUN ATTACK IN BRADY: 'Hand of God came down'

Man details gun attack, aftermath

SAN ANGELO, Texas - Casimiro Solis has told the story countless times.

Officers, friends, family and members of the news media have asked him to repeat details about the gunfire that peppered his pickup and injured him and his wife. But even without that prompting, he sees the scene play out in his mind.

"It's like we relive it every moment without even thinking about it," he said Wednesday.

State authorities say the same man who shot at Solis injured three others in separate shootings and killed Alicia Torres, 41, of Eola.

Lance Cpl. Esteban J. Smith, 23, a Marine stationed in North Carolina, ultimately was killed in a gunbattle on the outskirts of Eden after wounding Concho County Sheriff Richard Doane.

The first shooting occurred about a mile west of Eden on U.S. 87. Laura Mandanas, 26, of New York, was in a car carrying two others in their 20s and was the first person struck.

A short time later, Solis and Charlotte Feldman were shot while sitting in a pickup parked at a Stripes convenience store in Brady, 32 miles east of Eden.

About 5:30 a.m., Eric Kothmann, 52, of Menard, was shot on U.S. 87 west of Eden.

Shortly after 6 a.m. a report of shots fired was received from Eola, 22 miles northwest of Eden. Authorities found Torres' body in her car.

About 15 minutes later, Doane encountered Smith on U.S. 83 about four miles north of Eden and was shot. Shortly after, a DPS trooper and a state game warden arrived in the area and exchanged fire with Smith, ending in Smith's death.

Solis said he and his wife are dealing with the trauma, emotional and physical, of the weekend. On Wednesday they were given extended leave from work for another week, Solis said, to give shrapnel a "chance to come out on its own." They were also continuing to meet with counselors.

Early Sunday, Feldman got out of the couple's pickup to tell a man who had pulled up about 30 yards away that the convenience store wasn't open.

As she got back in, the man, who was on Highway 87, opened fire.

"He didn't say a word," Solis said. "The shots rang out, and we were just hoping and praying to God he would stop."

Later they told officers it appeared the driver was wearing dark shades and had a bandanna over his head.

Feldman was hit on the right side of her face, neck and shoulders, Solis said. He was struck on the back of his head, back, neck and shoulders.

His only thought once the gunshots began was of the couple's survival.

Solis said he felt the bullets whiz by his head, knocking him forward so that his forehead hit the steering wheel.

After that, a shot hit the side of the pickup and sprayed shrapnel on Feldman's face and neck, throwing her on top of Solis. Solis said when he noticed, he pushed her under him, between the center console and gear shift, and waited for the shooting to stop.

"A couple of seconds later, he casually drove off," Solis said. "The shots stopped, and he just kept on going."

At that point Solis threw the pickup into reverse and took off down China Street, which runs behind the store, and called 911. Within a few minutes he had reached the Concho County Hospital's emergency room and was honking for help.

His wife was "bleeding profusely" from her cheek, Solis said. It wasn't until he was inside that he noticed he was injured.

Since then the overwhelming feeling of struggling to survive has turned into one of gratitude that they're alive.

"Not just us, but a lot of people take life for granted, and you never know what's going to happen," he said. "It was a life-changing experience for both of us."